Time To Say Goodbye
by arabianjasmine
Summary: Because if she were the one to leave him, he would receive a three-paged letter, and she hates herself for it.


**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or the song used in this one-shot.**

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A Klaroline one-shot inspired by the song 'Almost Lover' by A Fine Frenzy  
This is just something that popped up in my mind while listening to that song and I decided to write it.  
I wrote this thinking that this is another way of Klaus saying goodbye to Caroline as he leaves for New Orleans, but it's just a simple one-shot that can be set at any point of time you desire.

Enjoy.

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**( x )**

_goodbye, my almost lover  
goodbye, my hopeless dream_

**( x )**

It's almost time to leave.

But he needs to say goodbye to her first.

**( x )**

_your fingertips across my skin,  
the palm trees swaying in the wind  
images_

**( x )**

He's nursing a half-glass of scotch in one hand, sat down on his wooden office chair –the only piece of furniture in the house that isn't covered with the familiar cream-white cloth used whenever he's moving.

His other hand bears the familiar weight of cardstock, but the two words written on it makes it seems as though he is holding the weight of the world.

**( x )**

_i'm trying not to think about you  
can't you just let me be?_

**( x )**

_She lays there, letting death slowly take over her, and he allows it. He has accepted her death and just when he expects her to do the same, she puts up one last fight._

"_I know that you're in love with me." She whispers coarsely, her green eyes never blinking or looking away from him. He does the same, staying silent for he does not know what to say. The truth that he had protected and guarded so well spills right in front of him, how does one react to that?_

_But she isn't done yet, she takes in another sharp breath and there is a part of him inside that winces at the sound. "And anybody capable of love," she continues, " is capable of being saved."_

_He is visibly shaken by her words and takes in a sharp breath himself. "You're hallucinating," he tells her because this is the only reason he can come up with. Has the girl already forgotten who he is and what he has done? Terrible, bone-chilling things; he single-handedly coloured cities red, made towns non-existing and ended many, many generations of families. He does not deserve to be saved, but when this girl…this beautiful, exquisite, strong and full of light and love girl, tells him that he is capable of being saved, he cannot help but hold on to that slim strand of promise. _

"_I guess I'll never know," she coughs out and that strand of promise is instantly cut with her sharp finality of words. No, no, no, he cannot and will not be saved unless it's her as his saviour so before he knows it, he is saying her name. But it's almost too late. Her eyes have already closed and she is coughing out her last breaths. _

_Before he knows it, he's positioning himself behind her, propping her upper body up against his own. And just like that, he begins to bring her nearly lost life back. Her luscious lips are against his skin, drinking his blood and he hears the sound of her heart thumping more steadily with every gulp she takes. _

**( x )**

_i never want to see you unhappy,  
i thought you'd want the same for me_

**( x )**

He lets go of the now-empty glass and pulls his phone out of his pocket. He presses one name, waits for three rings before the other end picks it up and speaks fives words; _he can come back now. _

Because between him and the Lockwood boy, the latter was, and is, the one who can bring out that glorious smile out of her. 'Tyler' is the name that tumbles out of her mouth when she's in peaceful slumber, not 'Klaus'. The werewolf brought her happiness while he, the hybrid, brought nothing but misery. So if her happiness meant a little sacrifice from him, he was more than happy to suffer for however long he needs to.

**( x )**

_so long, my luckless romance,  
__my back is turned on you_

( x )

She is not home. And he debates whether he should wait for her or simply leave. After all, he owes her a decent goodbye after everything he's brought upon her but, on the other hand, he did not want to make life any harder for her. Though truth be told, he is more afraid of what she's going to do to him than what he'll do to her. Her words –no, even just her presence, might make him stay a little bit longer. But he can't have that.

In the end, he leaves the sealed envelope outside her door and whether she sees it before the wind blows it away or not is up the fates.

**( x )**

_so you're gone and i'm haunted,  
and i bet you are just fine_

**( x )**

Later that night, she walks up to their front porch, a bouquet of roses in her hand from Tyler. "Klaus let me come back, Care. Permanently," he told her that afternoon with that wolfish grin on his face and she cannot help but let her own ear-to-ear grin take over.

They spend the rest of their time talking; mostly about him and everything he's done while he was away. He tells her about the mountains, the stars and the beauty of it all. "I promise, Care, one day I'll show you all of it, even more!" He promises, his hand squeezing hers tighter, and oddly enough the promise reminds her of a certain man with his words.

_There's a whole world out there waiting for you._ His voice now echoes in her head as she warily eyes the white envelope, its colour so strikingly contrasting against the dark wooden boards. She knows its from him, not just because of past experience, but because she feels his presence. He's not there now, certainly not but he was there before, his signature musky, woody cologne still floating in the air.

She plans to thank him the next day for letting Tyler come back to his home but as she bends down to pick up the envelope, she senses that it will not be possible.

Opening the envelope, she finds that it contains a single silver cardstock with two words written on it, his handwriting clear.

_Goodbye, Caroline._

And just like that the neatly arranged bouquet of roses becomes a crimson red mess on her carpet as she carelessly drops them. She is out of the door before she can stop herself and only comes to a halt at the front door of his mansion. "Klaus! Klaus!" She yells his name, her fists pounding against the mahogany door. But no one answers.

**( x )**

_did I make it that easy  
to walk right in and out of my life?_

**( x )**

She is beyond furious the next morning. Two words! That's all he left her with! Was that all she meant to him? Two fucking words? Because if she were the one to leave him, he would receive a three-paged letter, and she hates herself for it.

He owes her an explanation.

**( x )**

_i cannot drive the streets at night,  
i cannot wake up in the morning  
without you on my mind_

**( x )**

And the explanation that she will most likely never get is this: he had refused to write anything other than those two letters on the card because he found that there was nothing else he could say.

_Until we meet again_, was an empty promise for he was not sure of many things when it comes to her and he did not want to give the two of them that false hope.

_I will miss you_, was simply not enough for he will be more than missing her. He knows this because as he drives that night, every mile he put between the two them already feels like it equals a century.

**( x )**

_i should've known you'd bring me heartache  
almost lovers always do_

**( x )**

It's time to move now, he knows.

But he finds that he cannot.

**( x )**

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So you just finished reading my first one-shot, first song-fic and first TVD pairing ever. It's not the best but I tried. :) I hope you enjoyed it, even in the least bit.


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